Youth Orchestras/College

Monday, June 2, 2014

This three-day seminar gives musicians, staff, and board members the knowledge they need for collective bargaining and effective labor relations throughout contract cycles. Attendees will gain the skills necessary for greater effectiveness in negotiation – with the goal being durable agreements that help insure healthy communication and trust among stakeholders.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

This three-day seminar gives musicians, staff, and board members the knowledge they need for collective bargaining and effective labor relations throughout contract cycles. Attendees will gain the skills necessary for greater effectiveness in negotiation – with the goal being durable agreements that help insure healthy communication and trust among stakeholders.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

This seminar takes the theory of capitalization planning into the trenches. We revisit our fictional Downtown Symphony Orchestra to test their strategies in the context of changed realities and a new opportunity. Are they making a big bet that holds the promise of a big payoff? Can they afford to take on this challenge? Can […]

Orchestras are making great strides in connecting to their communities, but public perception does not always reflect that progress. It is time to tell your story of impact more effectively. Digital media (video, audio, photography, web and social media) can play a powerful role in helping orchestras understand, capture, and communicate stories of impact in […]

Musical tastes are constantly changing, as are the ways audiences prefer to experience concerts. Join us to take stock of the array of concert format experiments underway at orchestras today – and what it means to assess the impact of these programs. We’ll explore the role of capturing audience feedback in an artistically driven organization, […]

This three-day seminar gives musicians, staff, and board members the knowledge they need for collective bargaining and effective labor relations throughout contract cycles. Attendees will gain the skills necessary for greater effectiveness in negotiation – with the goal being durable agreements that help insure healthy communication and trust among stakeholders.

Fundraising today is challenging as ever. And while we have seen a shrinking base among institutional and corporate giving for cultural organizations, the good news is that there is real opportunity for growth in individual giving. Organizations that are able to make the essential transition from institutional to individual giving will do well. This session […]

Successful organizations are built on a strong governance foundation. It’s easy to get lost in the weeds, resulting in inertia. By focusing on what’s truly important – a board’s fiduciary, strategic, and generative work – your board members can take their governing and the orchestra to the next level. Join us for this half-day seminar, […]

This session will focus on applying critical and creative thinking to emerging trends. You will learn how to empower your organizations to reconcile how the world is changing around you with the change you can affect within your orchestras. Participants will learn how to connect trends to key dynamics of managing orchestras. Small group teams […]

Stop by the Exhibit Hall to meet with a wide variety of vendors serving the orchestral field. Whether you are looking for new sound equipment or searching for new talent, find it at Conference. Browse our list of exhibitors to see who will be represented this year.

Every day during Conference you’ll gather together for stimulating meetings with those who best understand the challenges of your position: your peers. Whether you’re working at an orchestra as an executive director, board member, volunteer, staff, or musician, there is learning designed specifically for you. All agendas will be accessible via the Conference mobile site, […]

The Opening Session will feature a keynote address from Claire Chase, a multi-track work by Gabriel Prokofiev featuring Prokofiev as DJ and Joshua Roman as cellist, and a performance by the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra.

This year’s Next: an under 35 event will be at The Pike Brewing Company, 1415 1st Avenue in Seattle. Join us for wine, local and sustainable pub fare and handcrafted ales (including several that brewed on the premises), in the heart of Seattle’s historic Pike Place Public Market. The Pike Brewing Company, founded in 1989, […]

Stop by the Exhibit Hall to meet with a wide variety of vendors serving the orchestral field. Whether you are looking for new sound equipment or searching for new talent, find it at Conference. Browse our list of exhibitors to see who will be represented this year.

Musicians inside and outside orchestras are redefining their roles, pursuing new creative and organizational paths. What is the opportunity for orchestras? What can orchestras learn from these musicians? What changes in practice should orchestras make? Claire Chase, flute player; founder and executive director, ICE; Alan Fletcher, president and CEO, Aspen Music Festival and School; Joshua […]

Unlock your orchestra’s untapped potential to address the most pressing civic challenges and opportunities in your community. Explore how organizations like yours are finding the resources and courage to use the power of music to respond to public priorities like homelessness, hunger, our returning vets, and other issues that matter so much. Attendees will walk […]

Your board members love your orchestra, but they sometimes struggle when it comes to fundraising. Find out how to remove the barriers that keep them from being compelling ambassadors and powerful fundraisers in this fun but practical session. You’ll leave with specific no-cost steps you can take immediately to shift their attitudes and actions. Susan Howlett, […]

Check This Out is a fast-paced opportunity for those attending conference to get a quick snapshot of exciting work happening in a number of organizations. Each presentation will be approximately 6 to 8 minutes in length, allowing for several different presentations in a short time-frame. This session will introduce work in the areas of artistic […]

Longitudinal data from ten large orchestras in the Patron Growth Initiative revealed that just 10% of households accounted for almost 80% of patron-generated revenue over the seven-year FY05-11 period—and the 65+ age segment accounted for two-thirds of that revenue. These sobering statistics are compounded by rapidly shifting buying patterns and the potential reality of a […]

This session looks at real-world next generation strategies for using social media and community data to understand and adapt to what your communities want. Most of the ways we have been measuring the impact of the arts are ineffective, but now we have a much more effective tool. You can look at social media as […]

Today’s funding landscape requires us to artfully and effectively communicate our impact in new and meaningful ways. To attract the funders of tomorrow, we will need to speak to the issues that are important to a new generation, and demonstrate how we address community needs. Attendees will walk away with: 1) an overview of the […]

Check this Out is a fast-paced opportunity for those attending conference to get a quick snapshot of exciting work happening in a number of organizations. Each presentation will be approximately 6 to 8 minutes in length, allowing for several different presentations in a short time-frame. This session will introduce work in the areas of audience […]

Seattle’s strong Asian presence is borne out by its geography. It is as close to Tokyo as it is to London. Immigrants from across the Pacific Ocean have been a part of this city from the very beginning, and today they, and their descendants, comprise 15% of the region’s population. This session will explore approaches […]

You might not come from the land of Kurt Cobain or Jimi Hendrix, but there are plenty of exciting options for you to take back home that may never have occurred to you! Learn more about the Seattle Symphony’s wide-ranging artistic partnerships and what they might suggest for your orchestra. Attendees will walk away with: […]

What are the leading trends in the U.K., in Australia, and on the European mainland? What are the driving priorities for orchestras among our international colleagues? What are some of the key differences among the U.S., European, and Asian orchestra communities? Resources: The State of British Orchestras, produced by the Association of British Orchestras. Association […]

Whether you are a 20-something or a 70-something, you need to build the skills to put in motion the cultural and organizational adaptations required in our rapidly-changing country. Attendees will walk away with: 1) communication skills that can create more opportunities to draw talent close and help make your orchestra’s public value more evident; 2) […]

Our orchestras’ abilities to tell their stories effectively is key to helping the general public understand who we are, the impact we make, and how we are adapting to reflect the values of our community. It’s not just about the concerts any more, but about telling the bigger story. Attendees will walk away with a […]

All League delegates are welcome to attend this year’s annual networking luncheon, hosted by the League of American Orchestras’ Volunteer Council. Guests will not want to miss a special presentation by the Peoria Symphony Guild’s Puppet Troupe. For over 40 years this troupe has been performing regularly in public schools and delighting children with the […]

Every day during Conference you’ll gather together for stimulating meetings with those who best understand the challenges of your position: your peers. Whether you’re working at an orchestra as an executive director, board member, volunteer, staff, or musician, there is learning designed specifically for you. All agendas will be accessible via the Conference mobile site, […]

In the fifteen years since this state-of-the-art education center opened its doors to support community involvement with the Symphony, Soundbridge Seattle Symphony Music Discovery Center has grown and evolved to reflect Seattle’s families, communities and audiences. Kelly Dylla, VP of education and community engagement, and Laura Reynolds, family programs manager, will give a brief presentation of […]

Friday, June 6, 2014

Every day during Conference you’ll gather together for stimulating meetings with those who best understand the challenges of your position: your peers. Whether you’re working at an orchestra as an executive director, board member, volunteer, staff, or musician, there is learning designed specifically for you. All agendas will be accessible via the Conference mobile site, […]

Stop by the Exhibit Hall to meet with a wide variety of vendors serving the orchestral field. Whether you are looking for new sound equipment or searching for new talent, find it at Conference. Browse our list of exhibitors to see who will be represented this year.

This session will look at examples of new ways to think about story-telling and suggest opportunities for orchestras of every size. “Big Advertising” understands that selling today is all about story-telling, and they’re good at it. Name brands are creating high-quality magazines and slick videos. New media ventures quickly attract millions of users by understanding […]

The time for simply lamenting the end to public music education’s heyday is over (It’s been at least 40 years!). There’s real strength and power to what arts education is accomplishing in our nation’s schools. But it is, in fact, accessible to too few students. Learn how orchestras can take action, both through programmatic work […]

Volunteers, working in partnership with development staff, can make important contributions to your orchestra’s contributed revenue. At this session we will explore ways to create and sustain productive partnerships. Whether in a large or small orchestra, healthy, professional relationships between these two groups can create a symbiotic relationship that is a win-win for all involved. […]

What organizational, musical, and social habits are keeping your orchestra from innovating and attracting new audiences? This interactive session will invite participants to re-imagine their orchestras without the restrictions that unintentionally create barriers and detract new audiences. Made possible by the generous support of American Express Foundation. Caleb Bailey, orchestra manager, Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra; Jennifer Barton, […]

How can we have inventive, challenging programs that build audience interest and investment in local markets? Spring For Music (S4M,) the closest thing America has had to a national orchestra festival, presented 25 concerts, by 23 orchestras in annual week-long festivals in Carnegie Hall from 2011 – 2014. S4M became a how-to laboratory for building […]

The “professional/amateur” (pro/am) movement is growing. Boomers, in particular, are eager to pick up their musical instruments, practice, get into the best shape they can, and make music. And, if they can make music with coaching from orchestra musicians, all the better! Attendees will walk away with: 1) details about successful pro/am programs in orchestras; […]

Come enjoy a portion of the Seattle Symphony’s rehearsal for its June 6 Sonic Evolution concert. This concert will feature three world premieres by Luis Tinoco, Du Yun, and Gabriel Prokofiev, inspired by Seattle icons Bill Frisell, Ray Charles, and Sir Mix-A-Lot. Sir Mix-A-Lot and Seattle-based band Pickwick will also perform.

Ludovic Morlot and the Seattle Symphony present Sonic Evolution: a concert featuring three world premieres from composers Luís Tinoco, Du Yun, and Gabriel Prokofiev, each inspired by Seattle icons Bill Frisell, Ray Charles, and Sir Mix-A-Lot. Sir Mix-A-Lot will perform with the orchestra, as will Seattle-based band Pickwick! This concert is sponsored by Cell Therapeutics, […]